He Should Be Happy
by simplymaterial
Summary: Marian is back. His wife is back. And he should be happy. But is he? A story surrounding Regina and Robin's struggle with their feelings. Mostly Regina's feelings and Robin's struggle. Sets off after 3x22. Rated T, for now.
1. Chapter I

**So, after being insanely mad and frustrated with that ending, I finally saw the potential of it too. I still think Outlaw Queen is going to be fine, I think Marian being back will be another test. I thought about it, and I see potential of a story. And that story, is exactly what I've decided to go and write about. So this is my take on all that. First Once Upon A Time story, about the third story I've ever written on fanfiction. So bear with me. Do let me know what you think. You like? Don't like? What could be better? What would you like to see?**

**Rating: T (this might change into M but who knows, it depends on my inspiration)**  
**Disclaimer: don't own anything but my own fingers typing this story. And my head. And my computer then.**  
**Note: I don't have a beta, keep that in mind.  
**

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_Synopsis: Marian is back. His wife is back. And he should be happy. But is he? A story surrounding Regina and Robin's struggle with their feelings. Mostly Regina's feelings and Robin's struggle. Sets off after 3x22._

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**He should be happy: Chapter I**

She's walking with them. Her two guys. Her hand is clasped in that of little Roland, the child she's grown to cherish. His cute dimples always put a big smile on her face. She looks sideways, her eyes connecting with Robin, who's walking on the other side of Roland. She smiles, her heart not heavy but light, her feelings warm not cold, her head carefree. And she can finally admit it to herself. She's _happy_.

She hadn't imagined a thing like this ever happening. She remembers how frustrated she was with this 'thief' in the Enchanted Forest. She was actually annoyed. He was a thief, so she didn't trust him at all. She remembers the bickering, the fighting. Once back in Storybrooke, without their memories, she couldn't tell why Robin followed her around, how he was always around and wanted to help her in everything that she did. It may have been weird at first, but she found herself not being completely bothered by him. Because he seemed to care. He was always around. He seemed intrigued by her. And she still couldn't exactly understand why.

But right now, she has to laugh about it all, because whenever she looks at him now, all she feels is warmth. A longing. A passion. A strong, deep feeling.

She's truly fallen in love with him.

As they reach Granny's, they let go of Roland and he runs along to the door. Robin grabs her hand, stopping her for a moment and she smiles, wondering why he stopped them. He smiles back at her, and comes in for a kiss, their mouths fusing together. Their tongues stroke each other, a warmth spreading through her veins at the touch. They part and she smiles, perhaps a little dazed. He comes in for another peck, lips brushing once more. The kiss leaves her flushed, but all smiles.

He knew she was worried about announcing their relationship to the rest of Storybrooke. And this was his way of reassuring her. The thought makes her love him all the more. He did the exact same sometime before, when Henry didn't remember her yet. He kind of 'kissed her troubles away', wanting her to feel better. And now he did so yet again. She doesn't mind him doing this again and again.

Because it works.

With a smile, they continue to walk to the door, entering the diner together. As Robin and Roland sit down together, Regina decides to order some drinks.

Only to be interrupted by Emma.

And a few minutes later, it feels like her world falls apart.

"Marian?" She hears Robin say to the woman standing before her.

"Robin?" Marian exclaims in shock.

And then it hits her. Marian. Maid Marian. His wife. No. No, this can't be happening.

"I thought you were dead. I thought I'd never see you again!"

"And I you!"

Regina watches as the two reunite, Robin's face one of relief, of love.

_I would've walked through hell to be with my Marian again._

"Mama?"

Roland walks to his mother, the two reuniting as well and Regina feels her heart crushing. Breaking off piece by piece. She doesn't understand, how did this-

Emma.

"You," she says, her eyes filling with tears "you did this?"

It's happening. Again. Her heart is breaking, again. She believed it would be different this time. Maybe she could love. Finally. She's worked so hard, to be good, to love and to be loved.

And it was all for nothing.

Because of her, this- family.

"You're just like your mother. Never thinking of consequences!" She blurts out. This goddamn family, always out to ruin her life.

It makes her mad. Frustrated. She finally has- _had_, something good. Why do people always have to crush that for her? Why can't they let her be happy.

"You better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back."

It infuriates her. No. She needs to get away.

She sneaks a glance at them again. They're still hugging. Crying. Smiling.

Who needs a second chance if the first one's back.

She's angry. She needs to leave. She needs a break before she does something stupid. Anger drives her, and right now all she wants to do is either kill someone or disappear, so she needs to calm down. To leave. To disappear.

And so she turns, walking out the door as the tears are threatening to spill.

"Mom!" She crosses Henry. He seems to be late to the party. But she can't handle this right now. She needs air. Alone. So she continues on walking.

Henry's confused. He walks into Granny's and looks around for Emma. His eyes fall upon a family hugging. It looks really sweet, it looks like they hadn't seen each other for a while and they'd finally reunited. He's happy for them. That is, until he sees that it's Robin. Hugging that woman. But he's with his mom? So who-

Oh no.

"Kid!" Emma greets him, her face laced with worry, and it clicks.

"What- what happened?" Henry asks her, wanting an explanation.

"It's my fault. I, I brought Marian back from the past. I just wanted to save her life. But I didn't know that she's-"

"Robin's wife!" Henry finishes for her. "Mom, what did you do!"

"I didn't know." Emma says.

"That doesn't make it any less wrong! How the hell can you bring someone from the past? Changing the past has consequences, I'm sure you knew that before you took her with you?" Henry exclaims, a flare of anger rising through him.

"Yeah, I do, but I didn't-"

"No," Henry interrupts "You don't get to justify this with anything. What you did was wrong! I'd never seen my mom so happy. She just passed me by without one glance, I could see tears streaming down her face. You hurt her."

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean for this to happen." Emma says, looking down in shame.

"And I can understand that, but this was wrong! I just, I need to go see my mom."

"Wait-"

"No, I need some time. Because right now I'm not at all okay with what you did! And apparently no one seems to care for my mom at all, so I'm going!" Henry says, almost shouting as he closes the door.

* * *

She's exhausted. Regina releases a heavy sigh as she sits down on her couch. This damn family. Why do they always ruin her life? Why are they always the cause of her heartbreak? Okay, maybe that's her anger talking.

It's just downright exhausting.

She's done. Like Tinkerbell said, he's her 'soul mate'. Well, if she can't have her soul mate, she won't have anything. She's done loving. She's done feeling. She wants to rip her heart out again, because now all it does is remind her of the time she and Robin put it back in.

_They're standing in front of her couch. They met at her house, deciding to put her heart back inside her chest together. She had made a fire, and made some snacks for them while they could sit on the ground and drink some wine. It looks cozy, like a picnic._

_Her heart is in his hand. He took it that day from Zelena. He's had it with him ever since. She had trusted him with it. She notices it's lighter than before, light streaks taking care of some of the darkness. She smiles, because it's her own doing. She did this. She's grown, she's done better. And she's let go of her grudges. She used light magic. She's changing for the better._

_"Are you ready?" He asks, smiling at her. He can tell she's a bit tense. "Hey," he says and she looks up, their eyes connecting "don't worry."_

_"I'm not afraid, it's rather- once I put this back in, my emotions come back fully."_

_"That's a good thing, isn't it?" Robin chuckles._

_"Just you wait and see what I do to you with this back in my body." Regina teases, smiling. "But I mean, it's like, blood starting to pump again. A range of emotions surging through you. It's something I need to prepare for."_

_"Well I'm here to catch you." Robin says and she smiles, her right hand reaching up to cup his cheek, stroking it as she smiles lovingly._

_"Okay," she says then, sighing "I'm ready."_

_"Here." Robin says, his hand reaching out to her, her heart safely resting on it._

_"Together." Regina says, her hand falling softly upon her own heart, her other hand resting below his._

_He nods, smiling. _

_She cups his hands, her heart, and as he takes a step forward to reach her, she slowly pulls his hand to her chest. He can feel her heart starting to beat faster, and just when her heart rests against her chest he stops her._

_"Wait." He says, seeing her face turn into confusion._

_He leans in, planting his lips sweetly against her. She responds in kind, lips lazily brushing over his. Her body relaxes, her worry evaporating. He feels her heart calming down, the rapid beating starting to slow down._

_Eventually, when he can feel she's calmed down enough, he pulls back, whispering against her lips._

_"Now."_

_She does as he says, pushing against his hand, pushing her heart inside her chest. She gasps as it happens. It's like not remembering a lifetime and suddenly getting flashbacks, remembering everything. Emotions, so many emotions. But especially- love. She feels love. For Henry. For Robin. A warmth spreads from her heart throughout her body and she closes her eyes, relishing in this._

_It used to be pain. It used to be so much pain and sadness with her heart inside of her. And she was afraid that it would all come back. But now, it's anything but. It's warmth. It's love. Her hands reach up to his cheeks, cupping them as her forehead connects with his. She smiles, huffing out a laugh. It's love?_

_He waits her out. Waits for her to take her time. He can practically see it happening. She's lighting up. He can see it, a certain strength enveloping her. And as he feels her hands cupping his cheeks, her forehead connecting to his, he knows. She's okay._

_And then she's on him, her lips firmly planted on his, her arms roaming his body and he can feel it. He can feel that little extra kick, that full feeling. He smiles into the kiss, almost chuckling at her eagerness. But he doesn't mind. He doesn't mind at all. After all, she'd show him what she'd do with her heart back inside her chest. And he's a willing participant._

It hurts. The memory hurts. Because that moment has been the most amazing moment of her life. She'd done so much, done so much good. And she felt she deserved it, deserved love. She'd told him about the tattoo, the story behind it all. How she never thought she'd have something like that again. Not after Daniel.

They had made love that night. And it was beautiful. He'd been tender, generous, passionate. A passion she'd never felt. She'd never truly made love before. Experience such raw passion, such an amazing feeling. After they had both reached their peak, they had laid together, her head resting on his chest, legs tangled together. And nothing had ever felt better than that moment. She had chuckled as Robin sighed "Wow, we should definitely do that again." She agreed right away.

She'll never have such a moment again. All that is gone. It's over. She brushes away a tear on her cheek. She's done crying. Done feeling. Because all it does is bring her pain. It's over. Nothing she can do.

She hears the front door open "Mom?!"

Henry.

"Mom, are you here!" Henry shouts. She hears his footsteps becoming louder and louder until she sees him stepping into the living room.

"Mom," he sighs, walking over to her and sitting down next to her "are you okay?"

"Fine." Regina replies on a whisper, trying to regain herself, trying to be strong. But she's just too tired to put on a poker face.

"No you're not." He says. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah well, what can I do."

"You can't give up!" Henry says, reaching out to hold her hand and she looks up to him.

She looks broken, hurt. How did he see her so happy yesterday and today it's all fallen apart. She doesn't deserve this.

"What can I do? He has his wife back. I can't compete with that." She sighs.

"Yes, he does, but he won't forget about his time with you! He's lost his wife a long time ago. He made peace with that. And I know he has feelings for you now. He can't just dismiss them, you know." He assures her, trying to plant at least a bit of faith in her.

"I know but, you know, it's his wife. He was with her for such a long time. It's great to have that back again."

"Even if he does have her back, it won't be the same. Not after the time he's spent with you. I just don't want you to lose faith. You have to believe."

She flashes him the best smile she can give him right now. She raised a wonderful boy. Her arms invite him and he comes willingly, her chin resting on his shoulder as they hug. He's a sweet boy. But he's wrong. Robin will be happy again.

And Regina- the Evil Queen, the villain, she won't.

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**To be continued..  
**

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**Note: Reviews inspire and give me the motivation to go on. Do let me know if you like it! The story will be from both Regina/Robin's pov. I hope that won't be too difficult to read. If it does bother, let me know. Hope you liked it! And if you're curious for more, I did a good job!**

**Tumblr: simplymaterial**  
**Twitter: simplymaterial**  
**(I'm original like that)**


	2. Chapter II

**Note: Thanks to everyone who's left a review for me! It seems like people are liking this so far, so I decided to put up another chapter, and a really long one at that. It might take a while before I update again, I have a really busy week ahead. But yes, hope you like! Long chapter yay!  
**

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His wife. He has his wife back. This feels like a dream come true. His family is back. He didn't know what to think when he first saw Marian, right there in front of him. He thought she died. And the next thing he knows he's holding her, hugging her, kissing her. She's alive. And now she's walking next to him, their hands clasped together as they walk down the street, on their way home.

Home. With his whole family. It feels like a dream.

Later that night, she's lying next to him in bed. They spent the evening eating a wonderful dinner together, reminiscing the time they spent together, the fun they had. They put Roland to bed together with a smile. Then they were both so tired that they decided to go to bed themselves. She's now fast asleep.

His Marian.

But he's not. And he's trying to wrap his brain around why exactly.

It's been a wonderful evening. They sat together, eating, drinking, laughing. They talked about a lot of memories they've had together, laughing about a lot of them. It was fun. They had a good time.

But now he's in bed, having had the time to think about everything that happened today. And now he's confused. Because yes, it's been great, but something was missing.

He should be happy. His wife is back, he should be thrilled and in love and the happiest of happy that he has his wife back.

But he's not.

Because his heart yearns for someone else. When his wife smiles, he sees_ her_ smile. When she laughs, he sees _her_ laugh.

_Regina._

He should be happy. But his heart isn't in this anymore. It has been a wonderful day, and to be with his wife again- it feels good. But it doesn't feel the same. It's not the same. His feelings are different now, his heart isn't in that place anymore. It's just not the same.

But no. He's an honorable man. He has made promises to his wife, and he intends to keep them.

_He should be happy._

* * *

She hasn't seen him. It's been a few days now. She finally fell into a deep sleep, finally found the rest she needed to get up again. The nights before had been hell, every time she closed her eyes she saw him, saw them. She dreamt about the two of them making love, sometimes making her wake up completely aroused. But she's finally had a night that didn't involve that, didn't involve him.

And maybe it's for the best that she hasn't seen him. Because she's trying her best to get through his. Not seeing him makes that easier. It's for the best.

She's just had a great breakfast with Henry. He's been a great help, he's been her rock through this. He's been coming over every day to keep her mind off things. Whether it was telling stories, playing video games, watching movies, cooking. She appreciates it so much. Her beautiful son.

Emma came over again to apologize, this time finally owning up to her actions. And that's all Regina wanted. She can't stand people justifying everything and not owning up to what they did. But Emma did so this time, and so she thanked her for it.

After breakfast, she and Henry went out for a walk and stopped to get some ice cream. At one point, Henry had to leave her, so now she's walking alone. But it's actually been really good. It's nice out, and this is clearing her head. Finally some time to breathe in the nice clean air.

She rounds a corner and-

runs right into Robin.

Her body freezes at the sight of him, her breath catching in her throat as her eyes roam over him, her face heating up. He's still affecting her and she scolds herself for even thinking of the things he's done to her and made her feel blissfully amazing. No. Stop. _God, he's handsome._

"Milady." He says and no, he shouldn't call her that. It brings up memories. Not what she needs right now. She's trying hard to forget, but the sight of him is completely working against that.

"Robin." She replies, it coming out on a breathy whisper, her voice cracking. This is not good. Guess she isn't ready to see him just yet. Her mind is racing. She has to leave.

"I wanted to speak with you-"

"Well I don't want to speak with you." She interrupts, walking past him but he grabs her elbow and she freezes at the touch, a shot of electricity coursing through her.

He quickly lets her go "I'm sorry." He apologizes, then sighs "For all of this, everything."

"Everything?" She asks, her mind a little dizzy. Does he mean-

"With my wife, being back. And I haven't contacted you and I-"

"It's okay." Regina interrupts, turning around to face him again. "Who needs a second chance when the first one's right there in front of you." She smiles softly, the smile not reaching her eyes at all.

He looks her over. She's stunning, as always, _in every way_. But that light he'd seen come alive in her is gone. She looks exhausted, quiet, hurt. And it's his fault. But when he looks at her, his heart speeds up, his stomach flips. He can't help but imagine kissing her again, feeling her soft lips against his, his hands roaming her body, his lips tasting her skin, his senses on overdrive as he loves her deeply, fully.

His hand reaches out for her, gently cupping her cheek and she closes her eyes. Her skin feels soft as ever, but it's cold as well.

She revels in the feeling of having his hand on her skin again. So warm, comforting. Something she's missed so much. She wishes she could have this all the time, but reality kicks in and-

"No, don't." She steps away.

"But-"

"No. Go back to your wife." Regina says sadly, walking backwards, away from him until she finds the strength to turn around and walk away, leaving Robin standing there.

_He should be happy._

* * *

The next day Regina took a nice, long shower. She felt she actually had to wash him off her. Not in a disgusting way, but a way to forget. Because that moment they had, it's hurting her. She wanted to go to him, to wrap her arms around him, to feel his body against hers, revel in his warm, muscular body. But she can't. Because it's over.

There's a knock on the door. Henry's with Emma today, so she wonders who it is. She walks over to the front door, gently opening it and finds Snow standing before it with her son gently resting in her arms.

"Hey." Snow smiles at her.

"Hey." Regina replies, opening the door further "come in."

"I'm sorry we haven't been by before, I didn't know raising a child was so hard and exhausting." Snow chuckles as she steps inside.

"I could have told you." Regina smiles back. "I understand."

They walk to the living room and sit down on the couch. Snow gestures for Regina to take her son, and Regina gladly agrees with a smile. Snow thought it would be a good way of distracting her a bit after all that's happened.

And by the way Regina is smiling, looking at her son, it seems like it's working.

"So how have you been?" Snow asks her.

"I'm fine." Regina replies, her way of saying 'don't want to talk about it', which Snow recognizes immediately.

"I know you're not. I'm so sorry that this happened. I don't even know why or how it could happen. And I wish it would be different, I saw you enter that diner together, you looked really happy."

"Well, yeah I was." Regina replies sharply, really not wanting to talk about it. So Snow lets it go for now.

"He's been difficult." She says then, changing the subject "I never got to do this with Emma, I should have asked you for some advice." She chuckles.

"Trust me, it's never easy. But you're a wonderful mother, so you'll do fine."

Snow smiles then "Thank you, Regina." She says, her hand reaching out to take hold of Regina's.

After a cup of tea and some play time with prince Neal, Snow decides to leave again, her son already sleeping in her arms. She hugs Regina before leaving, telling her once again how sorry she is and smiles as she steps out the door.

Such a sweetheart. Regina's glad that she and Snow now have a good relationship. After everything they've been through, they've accepted their ordeals and moved on. And it leaves Regina with a content feeling. It's nice to have someone that cares for you. Like family.

There's another knock on the door. Maybe Snow forgot something? Regina swings the door open with a smile, that smile faltering as it is him that stands before it.

Robin.

"What are you doing here?" She sighs.

"I- I needed to talk to you. Please."

Regina sighs and opens her door to let him in.

"I don't know if there's anything to discuss." She says as he enters and she walks after him.

"I'm sorry." Robin says as he stops and turns around. Regina apparently hadn't noticed he stopped walking so she abruptly stops after him, freezing before him, their noses almost touching as he faces her.

Their eyes connect, any words faltering as they stare at each other. Her heart speeds up at the proximity, her mind dizzy as she can smell his scent. She can't breathe. Memories of them flash through her mind, her face flushing, cheeks reddening.

He's quite dazed himself. He doesn't even know why he showed up at her door. To apologize? To tell her that he still wants her? He's been having a good time with his wife, but it's not enough. All he can think of, all he can feel, is Regina. She's enough. And now that he stands so close to her, can almost feel her, smell her, all he can think of is those lips. To feel those beautiful lips against his again. His eyes briefly flicker to it.

She's entranced, frozen in place. She can hear her heart beating in her ears. She sees his eyes flicker to her lips, and can't help but do the same. She's dying to feel them against her again. If it weren't for his wife she would've closed the distance in a second. Not to mention the things she could do to him right now. She finds herself heating up more and more, their proximity like a flame waiting to burst.

_His wife_. Right. She clears her throat and takes a step back, needing distance. Because he has his wife, and he's chosen her. It's over between them.

"Wha..what did you want to say?" She says, voice cracking. She doesn't know what to do. Should she scream for him to leave? Kiss him? Walk away? Shove him out?

Too many emotions.

"I'm sorry, for what happened." He begins.

"You mean yesterday?" She asks.

"No, no actually. I mean- with my wife coming back. I know it must have been a shock to you."

"Right, a shock." She replies. Hardly. Shock was definitely an understatement.

"I'm so sorry." He says, walking closer again, and she takes a step back. She can't have this right now.

He doesn't know what he's doing. He sees this beautiful woman standing before him, and it elicits a certain passion in him. His heart yearns for her. All he can think about is kissing her again, touching her again and he finds himself stepping even closer as his eyes flicker down to her lips.

He's stepping closer again and fuck, he needs to stop. "Robin-" She whispers.

But he's not stopping, and she can't find the strength to move. Before she knows it, his strong arms fall around her, enveloping her in a hug. She freezes at first, but his body warmth seeps through her and she relaxes, her arms coming around his back, her eyes closing as she allows the hug and decides to accept it for just a moment.

His eyes are closed as well. He's holding her, his hands softly settled against her back, stroking it, her smell invading him and he can't help but feel a shot of pain in his heart. Because he's hurt her. It's a wonder she's even allowing him to hug her. He wishes he could take it all away. He wishes he could be with her. But his wife is back, he'd made a promise to her when they got married. He can't just throw that away, honorable men don't do that.

She eventually pulls away from him, looking up into his eyes and sees a certain sadness in them. She wishes this could be different. She wishes they were together, that this was just another of those random hugs he loves to give her so much. She felt better for just a second just now, in the comfort of his arms, but now that she's looking at him the pain returns. He's not hers anymore.

They're still staring at each other, a certain tension between them and she can't look away. His arms are still wrapped around her, lazily stroking her back and it warms her, calms her. Yet there's a tension, a tension that could break any second. She could brush her lips against him, taste him, feel his warmth. She could stroke her fingers through his hair, she could-

No. She can't.

"Robin-"

"Right." He closes his eyes, shaking his head, trying to clear out of his trance. God, he wants to kiss her.

"Maybe we should sit down? I'll eh, I'll make some coffee, you go sit down." She says, letting go of him and stepping back, trying in any way to get out of this situation.

He clears his throat "Right, sure." He says and walks away into the living room.

She releases a breath she was holding. Her mind is going crazy, her stomach flipping, her blood pumping. Coffee, right. Releasing another breath, she walks to the kitchen.

He sits down on the couch. What is he doing? He knows he shouldn't be here, he knows he should be with his wife. He should. He _should_. But he can't help himself. He had to see her. He just finds himself knocking on her door, just dying to see her. It's wrong, but he can't help himself.

She comes back with two coffee cups in hand. His heart skips a beat at the sight of her. She's so beautiful. She looks so vulnerable right now and he wishes he could take that away. But he's actually the cause of it all. And it hurts him.

"Here." She says, her hand reaching out and he takes the cup, their fingers brushing, her breath catching in her throat at the touch.

"Thanks."

She sits down next to him, making sure there's an amount of distance. She can't help but remember a moment not too long ago.

_He's sitting on the couch, scotch glass in hand. They had the night to themselves, so she decided to start a nice fire, and to share a nice drink together. They've already had a few, so she's a little on edge. She steps into the living room and sees him sitting there, handsome as ever._

_She walks over to him, smiling as she climbs on his lap, her knees on both sides of his legs. He waits her out, looking at her with hooded eyes. Her eyes are a little hazy, darker than normal, and he definitely likes it._

_She reaches for his glass, grabbing it from him "You're not gonna need this anymore." She says as she sets it down on the table behind her._

_"Hmm, why's that?" He asks her, his hands coming to rest on her hips, slowly dragging her shirt up so he can find her skin._

_She moans at the touch, her eyes flickering to his lips, leaning in slowly to taste them. He responds immediately, his hands roaming under her shirt as he opens his mouth to her, their tongues stroking, feeling._

_She wraps her arms around him, her right hand finding its way into his hair, her fingers stroking through it, clawing against it, angling his head so she can deepen the kiss. He groans in response, his hips jerking up, eliciting a moan from her._

_Yeah, he doesn't need that drink anymore._

She flashes back to reality, a pang of pain settling in her stomach. The memories make everything all the worse.

"Are you okay?" He asks her after having taken a sip of his coffee.

"No." She responds immediately. Damn. She's always been honest to him. Apparently she isn't able to stop that now.

"I'm so sorry." He says yet again.

"Yeah well." She says, taking a sip of her own coffee. She doesn't even know what to say. She doesn't have any way to make this better and it kills her. It breaks her.

They then continue to sit there in silence.

Until Robin speaks again. "I really never imagined this happening. I mean, of course you can't bring people back from the dead, right? So to see her again, I couldn't help it."

What is he doing? Trying to make her feel even worse? Is he going to tell her how much he loves his wife next? She doesn't need this.

So she stands, taking more distance from him.

"I just- I love her." He says, and there it is.

"Why are you here." Regina says sharply as she turns around to face him, anger rising within her. "If you're going to declare your love for your wife in my face, you better leave right now."

He slaps himself internally. He's trying to explain this all to her, yet he's hurting her more and more. He stands up himself, walking over to her and in return she takes more steps away from him.

"Just go, Robin." She says sadly.

"I need to explain."

"You don't. I know enough. Go." She says, taking another step back as he closes in on her.

"Let me explain." He says once again, walking closer.

"Robin. Go back. Go back to your perfect wife, your perfect family. I get it. We had a good time, but it's over. You have your wife back, I'm nothing to you anymore. I'm a second chance, something you don't need when your first chance is around. Just lea-"

Before she can finish her sentence, he closes the remaining distance, hard.

She stumbles back a bit, releasing a moan as she feels his lips on hers, completely shocked, yet immediately responding. Because shit, he's kissing her. A bolt of electricity shoots through her body and she responds, melting against him.

He's kissing her. And she's letting him. And shit. This feels too good. This is exactly what he misses. The feelings he experiences by kissing her. The passion. The drive. The warmth that shoots through his limbs. And he can't stop himself.

Her mind is completely blank. There's nothing but this feeling. Of his lips against hers. His tongue seeking inside to taste her. Her fingers stroking through his hair, clawing against it and gently turning his head, which makes the kiss deepen. Fuck.

But no wait. No. No no no. He's married. His wife's back. No.

She finds the strength and pushes him away "No, Robin." She says, face flushed, lips swollen.

"I'm sorry." He says as his hand rests against his forehead. Because shit, that was so good. But he shouldn't be doing this. His wife is back. No.

"I- I should go." He says and he steps back, actually hurting by turning away from her. Hurting by stepping out that door and leaving her behind.

Shit.

_He should be happy?_

* * *

**To be continued...  
**

* * *

**Note: Robin no happy no more. Haha. But it's not always that easy. I am like completely and utterly unsure about this chapter. But hey, can't get better without trying. So I hope you liked it! I hope the tension is written well! Please leave a review and let me know!**


	3. Chapter III

**Note: Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! I'm glad you all like the more emotional view on things. It's what I love to write- their feelings. Because that's how a story gets across. Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

He's in bed, twisting and turning as he lets his mind reeling. He can't get rid of those thoughts. The thoughts of kissing her again, how amazing it felt, even though it was wrong. He didn't mean for it to happen like that. She was just standing there before him and all he could think about was tasting her lips again, to feel them against his, and before he knew it, it was actually happening.

And it felt so good.

What can he do? He just has his wife back, and she doesn't even remember the time they've spent apart. She's probably still as in love with him as ever. He should feel the same. But he can't help but remember the time he's lived without her. The time he's been through, the way he'd accepted that she was gone and he allowed himself to move on. And then he met Regina.

And her lips feel so good.

He's kissed his wife since she's been back, and it feels familiar. It feels like it always did. But for some reason, it doesn't ignite the same spark it did all those years ago. It doesn't feel as passionate. It's familiar. It's become boring. Yet every time he kisses Regina it's- it's passionate, it's new, it's absolutely _amazing_.

How can he live without that?

He doesn't know how to handle this. He can't just leave his wife like that. Can he? Especially since she doesn't know about the time they spent apart, to her it's just the 'next day'. How can he crush it all for her? He can't do that. No. Maybe once he spends more time with her, his feelings for her will rise again. He's probably buried them somewhere deep, so all he needs is to get them out again.

They haven't made love since she's been back, they've been busy and have been too tired every night. Yet the thought of making love to her makes him feel- weird. Sick, almost. His body disagrees, he can feel it. But then his thoughts shift to Regina again and he can feel it. He knows.

She's the one he wants. The one he needs.

What is he gonna do? He can't crush his wife's heart like that. And maybe the feelings are still there, so shouldn't he wait it out? But how is that fair to Regina? He can't think of her as a second chance anymore, it's not an 'if his wife isn't enough he'll go to her' kind of thing.

Because all he wants is to go to her. Right now.

Should he?

It's way too late. Right? And what would he do if he'd go to her? Talk to her? About what? How much he actually wants her? How he actually wishes he was with her right now? That he should be happy? But that he's just not? This frustrates him. He's dying to see her again.

His thoughts shift to his son. Roland. Roland has his mother back too. It's not just about him, his son has his mother now. No. He can't crush that, he can't just leave his mother. No. Right. Roland needs his mother. He's not going to destroy that. He looks over to Marian's sleeping form next to him.

Maybe it'll get better.

* * *

After a decent night of sleep, Regina finds her way downstairs, the smell of coffee filling her senses right away. Stepping into the kitchen, she sees her son standing with coffee pot in hand, filling up a cup.

"Goodmorning." She smiles, the sight of her son already lifting her spirits.

"Made you coffee!" Henry says as he reaches out the cup for her, smile on his face.

"That's sweet, thank you." She replies, sitting down on one of the bar stools. "How did you sleep?"

"Okay. You?" He says, sitting down opposite her.

"Fine." She smiles, taking a sip of her coffee. Of course, falling asleep was hell. But once she eventually drifted away, it was okay.

They eat their breakfast, Henry having made scrambled eggs, which she accepts with a kiss on his forehead. She still remembers how that, not too long ago, broke the cruse. _Her_ kiss did that. She was the one to break the curse this time, it's still kind of unreal to her. _True love's kiss_.

True love.

Her thought shifts to Robin, his tattoo, the fact that he's supposed to be her true love. And the way he kissed her last night- god. It felt so good. All she wanted was to hold onto him, to be with him forever, to be able to feel that kind of passion, that kind of warmth every single day. To kiss him whenever she wants to. Or for him to kiss her whenever he wanted to. She chuckles internally, remembering that he was mostly the one to initiate the kisses they've shared. It's like he just couldn't go without her kiss for too long. And it was adorable, plus, she didn't mind at all.

"What are you smiling about?" Henry asks her, having observed her while her mind was somewhere else, intrigue written all over his face.

Her smile falters, because that's all over now "Nothing."

"You don't smile for nothing." Henry says, narrowing his eyes a little.

"It's just-"

"Robin?" He cuts her off, and she's surprised.

"Yeah." She admits, sighing. Should she tell him? "He was- here, yesterday."

"He was? Why?" Henry asks, filling up her empty coffee cup.

"I don't know, it was- he started talking about having his wife back, how good that felt, and that he was sorry, and I asked him to leave. He kept on pushing that he wanted to explain, but I told him to go back to his perfect family and he-" She takes a break, breathing.

"Did something happen?" Henry asks, lighting up.

"We- kissed." Regina admits.

"You did!" Henry exclaims excitingly.

"Yes we did, but it won't happen again." Regina says, sighing.

"Why not?"

"Because- Henry, his wife is back. I don't know why it happened, but he immediately left afterwards and I think that that's just it. It can't happen again."

"Don't you get it though?" Henry asks.

"Get what."

"He still loves you."

"I don't think so." Regina scoffs "Why would he when his wife is back. He was so happy with her, he told me how he'd go through hell to be with her again. And well, here she is. I'm sure he's extremely happy."

"Then why would he kiss you?" Henry asks her, raising an eyebrow.

Regina stills at that. Because why would he? She searches her mind for any explanation. "I don't know, maybe like a 'one last time' thing or something."

Henry laughs at that "You're serious?"

"Henry, I don't know. And I don't wanna know. He's happy now, that's all there is to it."

"I'm not so sure." Henry states, crossing his arms.

"Well, I am. And you should go to school now." Regina replies, grabbing him, planting a kiss on his cheek and shoving him away playfully.

Henry shakes his head, walking past his mother, running up the stairs to get his backpack. How is she not seeing this? He's sure that Robin still loves her, he wouldn't be kissing her if he wasn't. If he was happy, he would be with his wife all day every day. He's Robin. He's honorable, true. He wouldn't do that to his wife, not if he had a perfectly good reason. And still being in love with his mother is definitely a perfectly good reason.

They'll be together again. He knows it. Because that's what true love is- no matter the obstacles, no matter what they face, they'll find their way back together. They're meant to be, he knows it. So he'll wait it out. In the meantime, he'll support his mother in any way he can. Until that day comes. And he'll get to see them together again, happy and in love. They'll get their happily ever after.

* * *

Marian decided to go to the playground with Roland, asking Robin to get her some coffee from Granny's. Robin had accepted, agreeing to meet them there. He opens the door to Granny's, walking over to the counter to order their coffee. It's still quiet inside. Roland was up really early and begged them to go to the playground to play.

He accepts the coffee with a thank you, turning around as the door opens and his eyes meet hers. Regina. His stomach flips at the sight of her. She's dressed neatly, probably on her way to the office to get some work done. His eyes roam over, starting at her face, right down to her legs and up again. He clears his throat, the image heating up his insides.

"Goodmorning." He says, actually frozen in place and not moving from his spot at the counter.

She walks to him "Morning." She says, ordering a coffee for herself. She's trying not to show him that she's almost shaking, her heart picking up pace the closer she gets to him. And why isn't he moving?

She tries to ignore him while she waits for her coffee, not knowing what to do or say. He seems to be the same, still frozen in spot, but not uttering a word. It's become kind of an awkward silence, so she's glad when her coffee appears in front of her, breaking the tension. She wants to say something, but she doesn't even know what, so she turns and walks away, opening the door to walk outside. He still hasn't moved.

It's about 3 seconds before she hears him "Regina!" She stops in her tracks, turning around and finds him walking towards her. Her heart races. He looks so handsome, as always.

"I- I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I don't know if-"

"It's okay." She interrupts him. "Maybe it was just a way to say goodbye, right?"

He's actually shocked. Goodbye? "What?"

"You know, a way to close this off, to put an end to it all."

He's actually speechless. She thinks that he kissed her to end it? One final kiss before it's done? His mouth opens, his mind searching for words to say.

"I-"

"I have to go, I have work to do." She says firmly, almost no emotion to her voice and it pains him.

She turns and walks away, and his eyes follow her every movement. How can he feel so- buzzed around her? Every nerve comes alive, a sensation coursing through his limbs at the sight of her. She physically affects him. And it's amazing.

He can't deny that.

_He should be happy_.

* * *

Once back at the playground, Roland runs to him.

"Careful, Roland, coffee!" He laughs as Roland basically jumps into his stomach.

He gives his wife the coffee, taking a sip of his own and then putting it down. Roland is still standing before him, so he picks him up, almost throwing him in the air and catching him again, making Roland laugh. He's so happy with his little boy.

He takes a glance back, sees his wife looking at them with a lovely smile on her face.

He can't help but see _her_ smile.

He shakes his head, ridding himself of the image and tries to distract himself, so he goes to play with Roland some more, running after him, Roland shooting fake bows at him and he falls down, pretending to be dead. Roland then runs to him, jumping on him and they laugh together, followed by Robin tickling Roland, his little boy squirming against his chest.

Later that night, they have a nice dinner together. It's all the same. It's all so familiar. Familiar should be good. After they put Roland to bed, they go to their own bedroom. While he undresses, Marian comes to him, puts her arms around him and starts to kiss him. He kisses her back. It's familiar.

When she seems to want more, he says he's too tired and excuses himself.

* * *

**To be continued...**

* * *

**Note: There you are! Let me know what you think in a review! Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter IV

**Note: I know it's been a while, sorry! Hope you like this one. Some Regina/Roland cuteness!**

* * *

Robin wakes up, with a smile this time. Because he had a dream, a very nice dream.

_She's standing in the kitchen, busy making an apple pie. They'd decided to cook something together, just for fun. And since she's basically overloaded on apples, apple pie would have to do. He'd been out, getting some whipped cream, because you can't have apple pie without whipped cream. He enters the house and walks to the kitchen, a smile appearing on his face once her appearance reaches his eyes._

_She's blending the mixture still, and apparently she'd had difficulties with the flour. The counter is filled with white flour, not to mention her hair and face. Her features seem annoyed, and he laughs. The noise makes her look up at him._

_"Damn flour." She says frustratingly, and he laughs aloud._

_"Not funny."_

_"It is to me." He says, walking over to her. She stops what she's doing and faces him, a little smile appearing on her face as he walks closer and stops before her._

_He smiles and brushes some flour off her face. "You got it all over you."_

_She laughs then "It didn't seem to agree with me."_

_"I can see that." He smiles, his hand brushing her cheek, eventually cupping it as he looks into her eyes. Those gorgeous eyes._

_They stare at each other for a while, matching grins on their faces. She breaks the tension by clearing her throat, looking away._

_"Did you eh- get the whipped cream?"_

_"Sure did." He says, getting it out of the bag. He gives it to her._

_She takes the lid off, pushing the pressure point back to release it, squirting some of it in her mouth, not having noticed that he'd been looking at her with dark eyes. She smirks, eyes connected with his seductively, squirting some more in her mouth._

_"Wan' som'?" She mumbles with her mouth full._

_He nods, her arm reaching out with the can, intending on squirting some in his mouth. But he intends on getting some in a different way. Taking a step forward his lips crash on hers, immediately seeking out the whipped cream. She moans as his tongue strokes inside, tasting. Her arms find their way around his neck, holding onto him as they continue to kiss._

_"Hmm, good." He says as their lips part._

_She smiles "want some more?"_

_"Definitely." He replies._

_She squirts more into her mouth, awaiting him eagerly._

He smiles still, the memory so present, so easy to remember. He looks over to his left, and his smile disappears as he sees a very different woman lying next to him, still sleeping.

And the warm feeling evaporates, replacing with a certain disappointment.

This isn't right.

He throws his legs off the bed, his feet hitting the ground and bows over, hands covering his face as he sighs. Will this ever pass? He's so afraid to admit it to himself. His feelings for – his _wife_ – are just not there anymore. And it feels like, no matter how hard he tries, it just doesn't work.

He should be happy. But what if he can't be?

He knows what _could_ make him happy though.

Or who.

He stands up, intending on getting something to drink. Rounding a corner, he finds his son.

"Papa?" Roland looks up at him, and he smiles.

"Yes, Roland?"

"When do we go see Regina again?" Roland asks him, and his smile falters.

"You- you want to see Regina?"

"I miss her." Roland admits "Can we go see her? Please?"

Robin thinks for a moment. He hadn't even thought about Roland's feelings during all this. He didn't think about the time Roland has spent with Regina, how attached he might have gotten to her.

"Oh, Roland, of course." He says then, and he sees a smile appear on his little face, his dimples slowly appearing.

"Go get changed, and then we'll go."

Roland excitedly runs back to his bedroom. And Robin prepares himself. Prepares himself to go see her again. He walks back to his bedroom, slowly waking up his wife.

"Marian?"

"Hmm." She mumbles, still sleepy.

"I'm gonna go take Roland out for a while, okay?"

"Sure." She mumbles in reply, sighing.

And he leaves it at that. Because it's not a lie, not exactly. She doesn't need to know that they're going to go over to Regina's. Right? They'll be back soon anyway.

He gets dressed, makes some breakfast for himself and Roland and after they're done they step out. Roland is excited, walking fast and pulling his dad with him.

"Come on!" He shouts.

Robin laughs "You're really excited to go see her, aren't you."

"Yes! When we're there, are you going to kiss again?" Roland asks him.

Robin stops at that, his son stopping as well, looking at him.

"What do you mean?" He grabs his son, settling him on his hip.

"You kiss Regina, right? I saw you kiss just before you saw mama again. So now you can kiss her again when we see her."

Robin smiles, chuckling. "That's not how it goes, son."

Roland looks confused, so Robin continues.

"People kiss when they are together. Yes, Regina and I were together before I saw your mama again. But now, your mama and I are together again, and I'm not with Regina anymore."

"So now you kiss mama?" Roland asks.

"Yes, now I kiss your mama."

"Okay. Can we go see Regina now?" Roland asks, apparently having accepted that explanation.

"Sure." Robin says, putting him down again and he yet again gets pulled by the hand.

* * *

They arrive at Regina's house. He picks Roland up so he can ring the doorbell, which he does quite excitedly. He laughs as he puts his son down again and they wait for the door to open. And after a few seconds, it does. The sight of her never fails to make his heart skip a beat. Their eyes connect first, and her mouth opens to ask what he's doing here until she stumbles back, a little body having hit her stomach.

"Regina!" Roland screams as he puts his arms around her.

It takes a few seconds for her to regain herself, both from seeing Robin and Roland hitting her in the stomach.

"I- Roland, hi." She says and she smiles, lifting him up so she can settle him on her hips.

"I miss you." He says to her, and she smiles.

"I miss you too."

"Daddy says that you don't kiss anymore, that he now kisses my mama." He says then, and Robin sees the flash of hurt appear in her eyes. He wants to apologize, but she seems to pick herself up.

"Yes, that is true." She says.

"Are you going to kiss again soon?" Roland asks then, and Regina chuckles.

"You know who I _am_ going to kiss?" She asks him, trying to change the subject.

He shakes his head.

"You." She says and she kisses his cheek, tickling him in the meantime. He squirms in her arms, laughing. She eventually stops and looks at him, his smile ever so cute with the adorable dimples nestled in his cheeks.

"You want to get some ice cream?" She asks him.

"Yes!" He answers and she puts him down.

Roland is already running ahead when their eyes meet again, a kind of awkwardness settling between them. Robin is the one to clear his throat.

"It's uh- it's good to see you."

Regina smiles in reply "It's good to see you too." She replies, disconnecting their eye contact and passing him to run after Roland. He sighs, his heart aching, and turns around "Wait!" he screams, going after them as well.

* * *

Once at the playground, they sit down on a bench. Roland is enjoying his ice cream, walking around and talking to himself. They both smile as they watch him.

"So eh, how are you?" Robin eventually asks, his eyes still remaining on his son.

Regina sighs. What does she say? The truth? Awful? Hurting? Aching? "I don't know." She eventually says, settling for that.

"I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay." Regina interrupts him "It happened. It's over."

"Is it?" Robin asks, turning sideways to look at her.

"It should be."

"What if it isn't-"

"-then still." Regina turns sideways as well now, their eyes connecting. "You're married. You're committed to her."

"Yeah, but-"

"It has to be over." She says then, sadness laced in her voice, visible through her features.

"Do you want it to be?" He asks her.

_No. _"I don't think I have a choice in the matter."

He sighs then, looking sideways to see if his son is still doing okay. He's eaten his ice cream, now sitting on the swing.

"Robin-"

He looks back to her, their eyes connecting once again.

"Why are you here? Why are you not with your wife."

_Because I don't love her, I love you_. "Because Roland wanted to see you."

"You could have left me alone with him."

"I know."

"Why didn't you?"

He looks at her, wanting so much to confess everything to her. But he needs to sort this out. Marian just got back. It's not fair to her to suddenly leave her like that. But is it fair to keep being with her and not love her? Is this fair to anyone? All he wants right now is to go with Regina. Go back to her place, be with her all the time. Forget about everything that happened and be with _her._

Instead he has to go back to his wife. And it doesn't feel right.

She's still waiting him out, he can see it. He opens his mouth to say.. something, but is interrupted.

"Papa, come play with me!" Roland shouts at him.

Robin smiles, standing up from the bench to walk over to his son, picking him up and running around with him, Roland pretending he's an airplane, making engine noises.

Regina's looking at them from her spot.

This is so difficult for her. She's grown so attached to little Roland. The moment his arms flew around her at the door, a warmth spread through her, and hearing him say that he missed her meant everything to her. She's grown to love the little kid.

And then there's Robin. Handsome as ever, of course. But she doesn't understand. His wife his back. He's in love with _her_, he must be. But then why did he come here, to the park with them. Why isn't he with her. If it was Daniel that came back, she'd be with him all the minutes of the day.

_Would she?_ Would she be happy if Daniel came back? The thought crosses her mind, and it confuses her. Daniel was her first love. He has a place in her heart. But Robin- the last few weeks she's spent with him have meant everything. It's, it's _more_ than what she had with Daniel. Much more. She loves Daniel, if he would be back she still would, but.. it would be different. It wouldn't be the same. Not after the time she spent with Robin. She couldn't do it. Because now, she loves Robin. _Loves_ him. Deeply.

Does- does he feel the same? Is that why he's here? Why he kissed her? No, surely not. Right?

"We should go." Robin says, snapping her out of her trance. Roland's sitting on his hip, smiling.

She clears her throat, standing "Of course."

"Thank you for the ice cream, Regina." Roland smiles.

"You're welcome. Come visit me any time, okay?"

"Okay!" Roland says excitedly. She bends forward, kissing him on the cheek.

"I'll eh- I'll see you." Robin says to her, uncertain.

Regina nods "Yeah."

Robin walks away then, setting Roland down after a few steps. Their hands link together and they walk away together. Regina's still standing before the bench, trying to wrap her mind around- everything. Wondering how she's ever going to deal with this.

* * *

Later that night, Robin and Marian have put Roland to bed. They walk into their bedroom together, and stand before each other.

"He's such a sweet little boy." Marian smiles.

Robin smiles back "He really is."

She steps forward, into him and plants her lips softly on his. They kiss. _It doesn't feel right_. Her hands reach for his shirt, pulling it out of the comfort of his pants. _This is not right_. Her hands touch his skin and it feels cold, it feels-

He pushes her away gently "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Marian tells him, though a sense of frustration is laced through her voice.

"I just, I can't do this."

"I know." She replies, and he looks up, eyes connecting with hers. He's confused, and she notices it.

"You've been.. different. Things haven't been the same, especially with intimacy. I kiss you, and I feel you don't kiss me back, not like you used to. I touch you, and I feel you tensing up, while it should comfort and relax you. This is not the same anymore."

Robin sighs, linking their hands together "I'm so sorry."

"Is it my fault?" Marian asks then.

"No, oh no, Marian, it's not your fault." He says then and they sit down on the bed, facing each other. She squeezes his hand.

"Who is she."

* * *

**Note: dun dun duuuunnn? You know, I don't know much about Marian's character. So I can either make her a beeeatch, or I can make her a person that sees the signs and might understand. Who knows. But if she finds out it's the Evil Queen? Hmm. Anyway, leave a review and let me know what you thought of this one! It's not going to be a very long story, there might be a couple chapters left!**


	5. Chapter V

**Note: Thank you so much to those that have reviewed the story so far. And to those who haven't: thank you as well! To everyone who basically follows the story: thank you. Haha! THANK YOU ALL. You guys following, and especially reviewing, make me want to write more and keep updating :) Okay. Hope you like this one!**

**Thanks for all your thoughts on Marian. I think her first reaction is definitely anger, so I just worked with that. I hope you liked the way I portrayed her. I didn't want to get into her character too much anyway. Because this is all about two characters and those two only :D**

* * *

_"Who is she."_

Robin gulps. She knows. He honestly can't blame her though, not after having declined her intimacy ever since she's been back. He just couldn't do it, he still can't. Should he tell her everything?

Moment of truth?

"You know I love you, right?" He asks her first. Because with everything that's going on, he still does.

"I know." Marian smiles, still holding his hand.

He has to tell her.

"It's Regina."

Marian thinks for a moment. Regina? She hasn't met a Reg- wait. It comes back to her, the day she was back, the person she was on her way to meet when she heard Robin.

He sees it on her face. It turns from confusion right on to anger.

"You mean Regina, the- the Evil Queen?!"

"I know, it sounds-"

"What the hell, Robin! The Evil Queen? Are you serious!" She fumes, standing up.

He sighs "I understand how you feel about her, especially since you were taken out of the time that she was at her worst."

"You think? She locked me up, Robin! She was going to kill me!"

"I-" That piece of information puts him back a bit. But knowing Regina now, he can't hold this against her. Not anymore, not after what they've been through, after what he's seen of her.

"I can't believe this!" Marian walks in the room, from one side to another, fuming in anger "I can't believe you're- fooling around with the Evil Queen!? How could you do this!"

"She's different now, Marian. She's not like that anymore-"

"Yeah, that's what Emma told me too when I was on my way to meet her." Marian interrupts him, plopping down next to him again with a frustrated sigh.

"You were going to meet her?"

Marian decides to breathe for a while, trying to calm herself, let the initial reaction settle down. Taking another deep breath, she continues "Right before I saw you, yes. I guess Emma wanted to show that she's different now, I'm- I'm sorry. I just can't get past what she was going to do to me. It still feels so fresh." Marian sighs.

Robin grabs her hand again. "I'm so sorry that she did that. And there's no excuse for it, I understand. But I've been with Regina for a little while now and-" he sees hurt flicker across her face, a pang of guilt settling in his gut in reply "she's different now, she's good now."

"How do you know that for sure?" Marian asks him, looking down at the ground.

"Because of what we've been through together in the last few weeks." He replies, squeezing her hand. "She has a son, you know."

That piece of information gets a reaction out of her, her head going up, eyes connecting with his "She does? The Evil Queen?"

"We just call her Regina now. And yes, she does. She's a wonderful mother."

Marian sighs. She's a mother? That puts things in a different perspective, knowing what it's like to be one herself. Does this mean that she _is _good? She's different now?

"I understand that you still feel differently about it, you've only seen her evil side. But really, she's an amazing person. Her evil side is gone, she's actually done white magic not too long ago."

Marian looks at him. So it really is true. "She did?"

"Yes, her evilness started because of a reason, but it's all resolved now. Her and Snow have figured things out, they actually consider each other like family now. She knows she can't take things back, but she's trying now, she wants to be for the better."

"And- you.. love her?" Marian asks.

Robin sighs. Moment of truth. "I really do. I am so sorry. You were dead, you have- or had been for a very long time. I'd finally come to a place where I could accept it. Regina and I eventually found each other and I- I fell in love with her."

Marian's eyes tear up and she looks down, unable to face him.

"I'm so sorry. This isn't fair to you. To you, we're together as ever. To you, we haven't spent many years apart. I am so sorry."

She's crying now, and his heart hurts. This isn't fair. To any of them. How can one change be the cause of so much heartache. But he can't lie to himself, he can't stay unhappy for the rest of his life. In the end, he ends up hurting someone. And it isn't fair.

So he puts his arms around her, whispers how sorry he is as he lets his wife cry. No matter his choice, one person is going to get hurt. And it hurts him. But he has to be true to himself, he has to follow his heart. He loves Marian. He really does. But not like _that_. Not anymore.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers yet again, kissing the top of her head.

After a while, she's stopped crying. She pushes away from him, wiping her eyes and sighing. He's in love with someone else.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asks her, wiping her cheek.

She sighs again "I don't know, I guess I have to."

"I loved you dearly, Marian." Robin says, hand reaching for hers again, squeezing it "Please don't forget that."

He sees a tiny smile appearing on her lips "I won't." She says, looking up at him.

He doesn't know what to do. He's hurting for her. It makes him want to stay with her, because he wants her to be okay. She has to be okay. He can't go off running to Regina and leaving her behind, hurting.

"Go." He hears her whisper then.

"I'm not leaving you until I know you're okay with this."

Marian sniffs, looking at him. "Robin, it's okay. I need time but- it's okay. You can go."

"Are you absolutely sure?" He asks one last time.

She smiles a little then, cupping his cheek. "I'm sure." She says and she bends forward, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye, Robin."

"I'll see you soon, okay. I'm not going to leave you and never come back. Before you were my wife, you'd been one of my friends, and you're going to remain that way. And we have Roland together, that won't change."

"Ever the honorable man, aren't you?" Marian chuckles, eyes still red and teary "Okay then, I'll see you soon. But Robin- you have to give me time."

"Will you tell me when you're ready?" He asks her.

Marian nods then, eyes finding their way to the ground again. "Go."

He stands up, and at the door he looks behind him "Is it alright if I pick up Roland tomorrow? I need to tell him myself."

"Sure." Marian whispers, and he nods, turning away and walking outside the door, leaving his wife behind, sitting on the bed. He hopes she'll be okay. He's gotten a second chance, he's sure one is out there for his wife as well. She'll be happy again, he has to believe that. Knowing the person that she is, she'll find someone.

* * *

It's 8 in the evening and it's still light outside. He goes to find her. He wants to see her, he _needs_ to see her. With a smile on his face he finds himself standing on her porch, knocking on the door. The door opens and he's greeted with the sight of a smaller person than he was looking for.

"Oh- hey, Henry." He says.

"Hi." Henry replies, a bit cold like. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for your mother, do you know where she is?" Robin asks him.

"Why?"

"Sorry?"

"Why? Why do you need to see her?" Henry asks him a bit defensively. It shocks Robin a bit, but thinking about it, he's been living with Regina and she's probably been hurt. Not a sight anybody likes to see.

"I'm sorry for what happened Henry, but it's good news, okay?" He tries to assure him.

"You know how much you hurt her, right? So if it's good news, can you promise me it won't happen again? Because you can't give her that hope and crush it down again. I won't let you do that."

Robin sighs. "Henry, I am so sorry for what I did to your mother. I was just struggling. I know that I hurt her, but after thinking things over I now know what to do." He tells him, a sense of determination flowing through him.

And Henry sees it. His body relaxes "You better not hurt her again."

"I promise. I won't. Do you know where she is?"

Henry sighs then "She went out after dinner, maybe to Granny's for coffee or for a walk- I haven't seen her since."

"I'll check Granny's. Thank you, Henry. And I promise, I won't hurt her again."

"Holding you to that." Henry says, and then a tiny smile appears on his face "Go find her."

Robin nods his thanks and turns around, on his way to Granny's.

* * *

She's not there.

"She came here for a coffee around 6:30, but that's all I've seen of her." Granny tells him while she grabs her coat, ready to close up.

"Alright, thanks." Robin nods, walking out of Granny's.

Where could she be? Perhaps she went to visit Snow and the baby.

* * *

"Haven't seen her today, Robin. You okay?" Snow asks him as he stands at the front door.

"Yeah I'm fine, just looking for her. I'm sure I'll find her soon enough." He replies, smiling and stroking little Neal's cheek. "How are you guys?"

Snow smiles "We've been doing good, thank you. This little one's been having a very strange sleeping rhythm though, he just woke up again. Wonder how much sleep we'll get tonight." She chuckles. Why are you looking for her?"

"I just need to tell her something."

"A good something?" Snow asks him, eyebrows raised.

He smiles. "Yes, a good something."

"Well alright, go find her. Good luck."

He chuckles, nodding his goodbye and leaving their house.

Damn. Where could she be? He walks around town, searches everywhere, but no Regina. He went to her office, to the park they went to yesterday, basically every place she could be. But she's nowhere to be found. He sits down on the bench they sat on yesterday.

Where is she?

He looks around. There are still some children playing, a few going off the slides and some swinging on the swing sets. It's 8:30 now, and he hears parents calling for their children, saying it's time to head home.

He thinks about where she could be. He knows that he's hurt her, and she probably hasn't been doing well. He'd expect her to be home, in the comfort of her own house and with her son. But maybe she needed some time to herself, somewhere where she's found peace before, somewhere she could be alo-

Wait. Could she be-?

He stands up, walking straight into the woods, on his way to the place that they've met before. The place he found her with that letter. He knew the moment he saw her he was interrupting her peace, her place to be alone. So he goes to find her, hoping that there's where she'll be.

The moment he finds himself standing in the same place, looking into the hole he looked through in that time, she comes into view. Sitting there again, with her back to him. Before he can announce himself, a tree snaps below his foot and she stirs, her head whipping around.

She's still hurt. He can see it, written all over her face.

"Hi." He announces, walking around the tree.

She sighs "What are you doing here."

"I've been looking for you all evening." He says as he finds his way to her, sitting down next to her. He sees her tense up, her eyes facing ahead, the same as that time before. The same glassiness to them, tears visible on the surface.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to tell you something."

"Yeah well I don't want to hear it." She snaps. But he doesn't take a step back. He knows her, she's putting up her mask, building up those walls, trying to find a way to never be hurt like this again.

He reaches out, his hand covering hers that's on her lap. She doesn't respond right away, instead he sees her closing her eyes for a few seconds, as if she needs it for a little while.

But then she pulls away "Robin, don't."

"Regina-"

"Don't do this, Robin. I can't take it. Go back to your family." She interrupts.

"Regina, I'm trying to explain something." He half chuckles.

His chuckle makes her head snap up "And that's funny? I don't need an explanation, Robin. We're over. We're done. Please go." She says, her voice having gone from anger to sadness in those few sentences.

Robin smiles, shaking his head "I'm not going."

Regina stands up then "Robin, please, you don't have to explain anything to me."

He stands up, walks over to her "Well, this you need to hear, Regina."

"Don't you get it? I don't want it." She says sadly, shaking her head and taking another step back.

"Regina, just-"

"No. Just go." She interrupts yet again, eyes connecting with his now.

So this isn't going well. He needs another way to get her attention, to get her to focus.

"Regina-"

"Robin, please." She interrupts.

"I love you..."

* * *

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Note: muhahaha? Let me know what you thought of this one!**

**Maybe Marian needing time to remember that Regina is the EQ is a bit weird, because she knows the EQ and knows that her name is Regina, haha. But I think she's only seen her as the EQ so much that it had to take a while to make that connection again. I just wanted to write her making the connection, so I hope you don't mind it was done that way!**


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